Foodie Fridays: Skillet Ricotta Pasta

I happened to have a bag of pumpkin-shaped pasta in my pantry, so I decided to use it to make a recipe for Skillet Ricotta Pasta on Halloween.  I also had the last of my garden zucchini and yellow squash to use up and substituted them for the broccoli in the recipe.  The only other change I made was to stir in some pesto instead of topping each serving with crushed red pepper flakes and grated Parmesan.  This is definitely a comfort food pasta dish, and made a great Halloween dinner.  Next time I will try it with the roasted broccoli, but the summer squash was really good and may actually turn out to be my preference.  And if you can find pumpkin-shaped zucchette pasta, I highly recommend it as the pasta of choice for this dish!

Skillet Ricotta Pasta

3 C. broccoli florets (I used diced summer squash instead)
2 T. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. short pasta
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 C. ricotta cheese
1 T. fresh lemon juice
½-¾ C. reserved pasta water
4 T. pesto (I used store-bought)
grated Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling

Place the broccoli florets (or summer squash) on a baking sheet and toss with 1 T. oil.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Roast at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, or until golden and slightly charred.

Cook the pasta according to package directions (remember to reserve some pasta water).

Heat the remaining 1 T. oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.  Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Reduce the heat to low and stir in the ricotta cheese until it becomes creamy, about 4-5 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.  Stir in the lemon juice and ½ C. pasta water until the sauce is smooth and silky, adding more pasta water if needed.  Stir in the pesto.  Taste the ricotta mixture and add more seasoning if needed.

Stir in the pasta and toss well to coat.  Toss in the roasted broccoli (or summer squash).  Top with grated Parmesan if desired and serve.  Serves 2-4.